Strike back

Laila and Maria had ended the call with Giselle and the other staff members not long after Giselle had told them what she had found out through her friend. During that call, the few former employees that were present, informed Laila that they wanted to talk to her when she returned from her trip. Laila could only imagine that it was about a possible re-employment and was ecstatic about that possibility. Finally she would get a chance to right some of her wrongs. Where she had first been faced with all kinds of fears and threats, she was now beginning to feel like the pieces were falling into place. Though there were still some that she didn't see during this call, she had hope that they too would come around and allow her to earn their forgiveness one way or another.

After she ended the call, she and Maria continued to discuss the information that had been discovered over the simple yet flavourful dinner that Maria had prepared for the both of them during the call. "Well, I don't have many connections over in the town where you guys live now but I do know some people who know some people. I can ask around so that we can discover the identity of this backer of hers. That way we can eliminate that threat before he can actually become one."

Laila nodded as she agreed. "Yeah, though I am sure that the people back home are doing all they can to discover more about this mystery-man as well as anything more to find about Olivia, it can never hurt to have another person digging. Especially if that person is you. If I know anything about you, it is that you have a real knack for getting the truth about matters above the table and no rumour goes past you either. So, be it reliable information or possible truths, you will get us closer the actual truth. Of that I am sure."

Maria was happy to see how much confidence Laila had in her and even though it was high praise she had just received, she could not refute any of it as she too believed it to be the truth. She might not be an arrogant person but she wasn't unnecessarily humble either. She knew what she was good at and most of it revolved around the truth. She was good at finding it, good at distinguishing it from a lie and of course good at telling it. So, now she would need to use the latter to help her friend in a way she hadn't asked for but she knew she needed.

"Speaking of truth, you do realize that by then Noah would need to know the truth about matters as well, because we are going to need his help if we want to take one of his enemies out. If he is indeed as powerful and as big of a threat as Olivia claims he is, fully knowing who Noah is and what he is capable of, then we can't handle him on our own. So, we need Noah knowing the truth and prepared to strike back before his enemy can attack. Do you think you can convince him of Olivia being a bad person before then?"

Laila nodded with a determined look on her face and said, "Yes. Don't worry about that. I know for a fact that he only tolerates her because he thinks she is my friend. It is not because he has any type of feelings for her or about her. If anything, I think he is a bit suspicious of her himself and is not particularly fond of Olivia." Maria felt relieved hearing that. "Good. We can't have him doubting us or doubting her character in favour of her. He needs to know that she can't be trusted and that he should steer clear from her whenever he can. If he is forced to interact with her, he should just put on a mask and make sure to not say anything that gives away something potentially important. Trust me, around a girl like Olivia, you can never be too careful."

"Yeah, I agree. I plan on warning him at least when I speak to him later this evening. I can't have her drugging him or something while I am away under the guise of 'taking care of her best friend's husband'." Laila said while mimicking Olivia's voice. Maria let out a slow clap as she said, "Impressive. Very impressive." This of course referring to her Olivia impersonation. "That takes care of the Olivia side of business. But aside from that truth, I think there is a different truth that you should be telling Noah about. Do you think you can tell him about you? By that I mean the real you. Where you are from. Or should I say, when you are from?" Maria added with a teasing smirk.

Laila let out a sigh as she said, "Yeah, I do have to tell him but I haven't figured out how I am going to do that just yet. I mean, not everyone is as in touch with their spiritual side as you are. Noah is a man of logic and this won't fit into that world of his in any way, shape or form. So, I will have to bring it gently and make sure I have something to back my story up. The best case scenario would be if I could find that man who brought me here and have him show what he can do to Noah. But I don't thin the chances of that happening are very high. But, I know that Noah trusts me with his life. So, I am sure I will find a way when the right time comes. For now my mind is busy enough with matters from this timeline. The matters of the previous one will have to wait for now and I will cross that bridge with him when we get there."

No sooner had she said this or did Laila's phone go off and speak of the devil, it was a call from none other than Noah. So, Laila excused herself towards Maria and answered the call of the person she had been waiting for, ready to tell him all about her day ...